ASAR-EC: An Adaptive Solar-Aware Model for Mitigating the Energy Hole Problem in Agricultural IOT Networks
Abstract
This article examines the problem of premature failure of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in agriculture due to the ‘Energy Hole Problem’, where nodes near the base station run out of power faster than the others [1]. To address this issue, an adaptive solar-aware energy-efficient routing and clustering model (ASAR-EC) is proposed. A key feature of the model is the integration of energy harvesting parameters, which is particularly relevant for regions with high solar radiation, such as Uzbekistan. In ASAR-EC, the selection of cluster heads (CHs) is based on a non-linear function that takes into account residual energy, current solar recharge, and an optional penalty for proximity to the sink. Unlike classical protocols such as LEACH, the proposed approach uses inter-node mesh routing and adaptive sleep mode control based on solar activity forecasts. Theoretical analysis and preliminary evaluations show that the model is capable of increasing the network’s lifetime by 40–60% compared to existing solutions.